apple snail brochure 9-29-14 - uga cooperative extension
TRANSCRIPT
Island Apple Snail (Pomacea maculata)
Native to South America
Recently Introduced in Southern
Georgia
Can severely alter your lake or pond
and the native wildlife and vegetation
that inhabit it
Coastal Georgia CISMA
Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Wildlife Resources Division
For more information about the Coastal Georgia CISMA or how to volunteer at an
invasive species removal work day contact:
Eamonn Leonard [email protected]
912-262-3150
For more information on these species & for information on many other invasive species,
please visit the following websites:
www.coastalgeorgiacisma.org www.eddmaps.org www.invasive.org
www.dontmovefirewood.org www.marex.uga.edu/shellfish
Other Aquatic invaders: Common Reed (Phragmites australius)
Flathead Catfish (Pylodictis olivaris)
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)
Chinese Tallowtree (Triadica sebifera)
Common reed often
grows in shallow
waters in dense
thickets, reaching
heights of over 15
feet. It can displace
native plants and
block sunlight from
aquatic wildlife
Flathead Catfish can
grow very large and
reproduce rapidly.
They are voracious
predators that can
wipe out entire fish
populations.
Water Hyacinth
forms dense mats
on the water
surface, restricting
sunlight available
for aquatic plants
and invertebrates.
Also known as
popcorn tree,
Chinese Tallow
typically grows in
wet areas. It can
displace native
vegetation and alter
soil conditions
Why They Are a Threat:
They can consume all aquatic
vegetation, leading to algae blooms
which are unsightly, can produce an
unpleasant aroma, and can affect
water quality as well as wildlife.
They mature quickly, reaching
maturity at 60 – 80 days. Upon
reaching maturity they can live for
over 3 years.
They reproduce rapidly. A single snail
can produce as many as 2000 eggs
every two weeks.
Apple snails vary in size, but can be as large as your fist
Apple snails lay pink egg masses on hard
surfaces the waters edge. 1 – 2 weeks
later the eggs hatch and the young fall into
the water
What You Can Do To Help:
Remove unnecessary objects from
around the water edge. These could
include boats, paddles, beach toys,
floats, etc…
Remove egg masses from hard
surfaces around the water. This can be
done by simply scraping the egg
masses into the water. Eggs that are
submerged in water will not hatch
Remove live snails, and dispatch them.
They should be frozen before disposing
of them. Snails can often be found
around the edge of ponds or in
patches of vegetation
What You Can Do to Help (continued)
Set up snail traps and bait and check
them weekly. For information about
building or purchasing an inexpensive
snail trap, visit
http://snailbusters.wordpress.com/trap/
Don’t release unwanted pets. Many
invasive species problems can be
linked to a pet release.
Egg masses can often be found on twigs
and grasses that overhang the water
What is an Invasive species? Any plant or animal that has been introduced
and aggressively competes with, and
displaces, local native communities; normally
having no native enemies to limit
reproduction and spread.